Ronald Weber
Rev. Ronald Joseph Weber, 78, died on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025 at OSF St. Katherine Hospital in Dixon, Illinois. Ron was born March 2, 1947 in Hart, the son of John J. and Margaret E. (Christian) Weber, attended grade school in a two-room schoolhouse, and graduated from Hart High School with the class of 1964, a year younger than his peers. When he was around 16 years of age, he and his friend Eric Metzler rode their bikes by themselves from Hart to the Mackinac Bridge and back, a trip of about 476 miles round-trip. As a teen, he also took up raising homing pigeons and sending messages with them. Before entering Central Michigan University, Ron worked for the Oceana County Road Commission.
Ron enlisted in the army in 1966 and served during the Vietnam War. On October 5, 1968, he married Sandra Lou “Sandy” Melchert in Free Soil, and they celebrated 39 years together before Sandy preceded him in death on October 29, 2007. Ron retired as a master sergeant for the Army in 1986 and began a second career working in the civilian sector as a mainframe computer technician for TRW and Storagetek until 2008. On April 19, 1997, Ron became a permanent deacon of the Chicago Archdiocese, and following the death of his wife Sandy, entered the seminary in March of 2008, where he obtained his master of divinity and was ordained a Catholic priest in the Belleville Diocese in May of 2012. Ron was a priest-in-residence in Belleville, then an associate pastor at Saints Peter & Paul in Waterloo, Parish Administrator at Saint Joseph Church and School in Olney, and finally, pastor of Saint Lawrence in Lawrenceville, before retiring in August of 2019. When he retired in 2019 from the priesthood, he got permission from the Rockford and Belleville dioceses to sub in for local priests in the Rockford Diocese; saying masses wherever he was needed. Ronald was also an Ecclesial priest for the Northern Illinois World Wide Marriage Encounter movement. After retirement he moved to Mt. Morris, Illinois where he could be closer to his family.
Along with his wife Sandra Lou, Ron was also preceded in death by his parents; his grandson Andrew Jonathan “AJ” Ruiz; and his siblings John Weber, Margaret Weber, and Rita Weber.
Ron will be greatly missed by his daughter Rebecca “Becky” (Mark) Miller of Dixon, Ill., and son Ronald (Traci) Weber, Jr. of Elk Grove Village, Ill.; his siblings Ramon Weber, Charles Weber, and Christian Weber; his grandchildren Alexander (Valery) Breckenfelder, Melody Breckenfelder, Cole Weber, and Audrey Weber; and his great-granddaughter Adalee Breckenfelder.
The Funeral Mass is being celebrated for Ron on Friday, December 5, 2025 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Oregon, Ill.
A time of visitation will be held for Ron on Sunday, December 7 from noon – 2 p.m. at Wyman Funeral & Cremation Services – Stephens Funeral Home in Scottville, with burial and Honor Guard rites to follow at Grant Township Cemetery in Free Soil.
A memorial fund has been established in Ron’s name at the Diocese of Belleville for the Education of Seminarians. Donations can be sent to Diocese of Belleville, ATTN: Finance Office, 222 S. Third Street, Belleville, IL 62220.
Please visit Ron’s memory page at www.wymanfuneralservice.com to share a tribute or memory of Ron with his family.
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